


i'm still here—

by froghurt



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-27 08:24:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15020594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froghurt/pseuds/froghurt
Summary: —so you are not alone.





	1. Chapter 1

Lelouch had woken up with a pounding headache that still persisted, clearly a result of having drunk too much the night before. His call history told him he'd had an hour long conversation with C.C. the same night, though he'd be hard pressed to remember to remember the details. He groaned internally. He hoped he hadn't done anything too embarrassing; C.C. would never let him live it down otherwise. Milly’s voice echoed down the hallway, loud and louder, issuing out orders for them to work on over the summer break. Lelouch concluded at once that C.C. had made the right decision by sealing herself off - he hadn't seen her all day despite sharing classes with her the entire semester.

He eventually found her huddled in a corner far, far away from everyone else. She leaned against the window, seated on top of a surprisingly wide ledge, boxes of pizza already towering around her. Her face was hidden and only the protruding strands of her bright green hair gave her location away.

“Move over,” he grunted, exhaustion laced through the command. C.C. shot him a look, but surprisingly complied, evidently having detected said exhaustion. There was a moment of silence before C.C.’s lip curled up, and she spoke.

“Having a rough day?”

Lelouch didn't miss the obvious amusement playing in her voice. He snorted lightly and replied, “Even if I were, it's really none of your business.”

“Oh?” C.C. looked at him through the sides of her eyes, not bothering to turn her head.

Lelouch avoided her gaze. 

“Oi, Lelouch, look at me. Suzaku is doing boot camp with the military, Euphemia busy with her internship at Teen Vogue. Milly and Rivalz are all over the place putting together plans for the summer. And you would never trouble Nunnally with your petty concerns, so-”

Lelouch gave her a pointed look as she paused dramatically. She merely grinned in response.

“-I’m all you have left. It is my business, whether you like it or not.”

“... I have a headache.”

C.C. raised an eyebrow.

He sighed and continued, “I’m serious. Just about everything that goes down during the last week of school gives me a headache. The lectures. The exams. The yelling, the enthusiasm...” Lelouch hesitated, before adding, “...especially from something like last night.”

C.C.’s eyes became alarmingly circular as she brought a single finger to her lips and tilted her head up towards the ceiling mockingly.

“So... you’re telling me... that you’re not upset... now that _Kallen_ is moving on?”

Lelouch bristled at the mention of Kallen. She _was_ going there. 

“... Yes.”

“It didn’t bother you, not even the slightest bit, that at this party she and Gino were draped all over each other?”

He winced. He remembered stumbling upon them, awkward and flushed.

“... No.”

“And what you told me yesterday, when you called... about being drunk and all alone - irrelevant?”

_Shit._

“... Of course.”

C.C. smirked, seeing right through the lies.

“My, my. Clingy, aren’t we? Even after that whirlwind of a relationship you two had? How disappointing.”

Lelouch snorted again, much more notably this time.

“Like your approach is any better. What happened to _your_ boyfriend? People haven’t seen you talk to Mao for weeks.”

He had only said it to get back at her but when C.C. turned towards him, alarmingly more expressionless than usual, Lelouch swallowed, immediately realizing he shouldn’t have brought up Mao at all. He opened his mouth, ready to apologize, to take back whatever he had just said, to-

“Whatever. At least I haven’t become all pathetically mopey about it.”

Any possible vulnerability he had sensed quickly vanished. She only rolled her eyes as she said, “What happened to you? Weren’t you the one usually doing the heartbreaking around here? Look at what you've been reduced to. Idiot.”

Lelouch felt his head actually start to hurt. Exhaustion consuming his words once more, he muttered, “If you’re talking about Shirley...”

“No,” C.C. replied much more forcefully than he would have expected, “Not just her. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, boya - actually, you probably haven’t - but you’re exceptionally popular among our female peers.” She paused, almost as if she were contemplating her next words, before adding, “For no good reason, too, if you ask me.”

He took a deep breath. She _was_ upset. Their breakup must have been particularly bad, too. Guilt gnawed at him from the pit of his stomach. Had he really been so preoccupied that he hadn’t noticed? His expression softened just enough for her to raise an eyebrow yet again, this time with much less amusement.

He ignored her.

“Listen, if you are upset, then I sincerely apologize-”

C.C. rushed to shush him now, shoving a slender finger onto his lips.

“I have been really busy, distracted and, probably, far too self-absorbed-”

An entire hand was now pressed against his lips. The indisputable smell of pizza wafted its way up his nostrils.

“There was stuff going on with my sister and Kallen and school... but, really, that’s not an excuse-”

Both her hands covered his mouth now as she bit her lower lip. Despite the situation, in that moment, Lelouch found her to be... well, rather  _cute_.

“What I’m trying to say is-" 

At first, he hadn’t see the tears that had started forming in the corners of her eyes.

“I'm here for you this summer. I promise.”

With that, he promptly gathered her hands and moved them away from his mouth. In the back of his mind, it had registered that Milly had finally stopped issuing out her ridiculous orders. C.C. stared back at him, genuinely wide-eyed this time, teardrops caught in her lashes. Lelouch gripped her hands tighter as he murmured, “Not so condescending now, are we?”

In response, she relaxed her arms, then dug her fingertips into his skin, causing him to drop her hands immediately. He glared at her, his hands stinging. She, however, eyed him with a look he couldn’t read and then proceeded to drop her head softly onto his shoulder.

“You talk too much,” C.C. whispered. Slightly surprised, he held the side of her head lightly, gently shifted his upper body, and then placed his own head on top of hers. She grabbed some of his purple shirt in her pale, small hand, pulled herself closer and made herself comfortable. Warmth spread between them.

Lelouch broke the silence first. Looking at the pile of pizza boxes surrounding them, he ventured, “So, are you actually going to eat more pizza after this, or...?”

C.C. didn’t reply at first, but simply glanced up at him through her bangs, looking at him as if he had completely lost his mind, then said, “Honestly, Lelouch, what kind of question is that?" 

Lelouch fought back a smile, before answering, “A simple yes would have been enough.”

She grinned coyly at him.

“Whatever, boya. You’re still going to be the one paying for all of it. You said you'd be there for me, didn't you?”

Annoyed, Lelouch then groaned _out loud_. C.C. paid him no attention, however; she simply started humming, her head still settled on his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know if this fic will ever have Actual Plot so here's just more of the otp interacting ( ´ ▽ ` )

C.C. found herself at the shoreline of the beach, her figure balled up, hands and feet sunk well into the folds of sand surrounding her. Her head titled back, she closed her eyes and took in a singular deep breath, inhaling in the crisp, salty air. For a moment, the world came to a standstill, and a memory replayed itself for what felt like the millionth time.

_“C.C.”_

_She turned around to a warm smile, and a fondness she had started hearing more and more of._

_There was a tint of orange yellow, the morning light, spilling through the window, falling in his eyes-_

_“I love you.”_

_C.C. froze almost instantaneously._

_Her hand hovered over her cup, and she forced herself to swallow._

_Mao’s face had already contorted to one of confusion, the hope in his eyes shifting to something else entirely within a matter of seconds._

_A beat._

_“Are you... are you sure?”_

_A look of annoyance crossed Mao’s face and he replied, “Yes, C.C., I’m sure."_

_C.C. couldn't quite bring herself to believe him - it was possible to get carried away, say things you didn’t mean. People do it all the time, really._

_“Where is this coming from?”_

_“... You know what? Forget I said anything in the first place.”_

_“Okay.”_

_“Oh my- Fine. Okay. Whatever."_

_Through her peripheral vision, she saw Mao clutching the table, his frown deep and eyes filled with a much darker hue than before._

_C.C. poured herself a cup of coffee and left the room._

 “Are you really wasting your time here again?”

C.C.’s eyes widened as a familiar voice broke her through her thoughts; as she turned, she was greeted by a frowning Lelouch, arms crossed, his head tilted in her direction. She briefly wondered how long he had been standing there like that, trying to figure what exactly she was so adamant on mulling over. She marveled at how fussy he could get.

“Well, at least it’s better than brooding over a stack of papers, hunched over nothing but your desk.”

Lelouch side-eyed her a bit, clearly sensing the jab at his workaholic tendencies that she now happened to be much more aware of, but smiled almost ruefully in response and replied, “For your information, the view by the window side happens to be quite beautiful.”

C.C. raised an eyebrow. She looked over to the ocean, and pointed halfheartedly.

“I happen to merely be appreciating the view, too.”

Then, she tilted her head back with a small smile, eyes gleaming. Her green bangs swayed gently in the wind as she drunk in his sight completely.

He, however, remained unbothered, restless. How typical of him. Apprehension turned to exhaustion as his arms dropped to his side; stuffing his hands in his pockets, he responded, “I came to call you for dinner. Everyone’s going out to eat. Sayoko claims to have found an excellent place to dine nearby. You probably don’t want to miss it.”

She grinned at that. “You’re right, we wouldn’t want that. She’s got good taste, that one.”

The sky fell into a mix between a soft orange and deep pink as sunset encroached. Lelouch only nodded halfheartedly in return, glancing back at their resort.

C.C. frowned a little at that, gently adding, “You’ll be joining us too, right?”

Lelouch turned sharply at that, as if he were surprised that she cared. Then, a weak smile.

“I have work to do. With Nunnally out and about safely with Sayoko and the others, I can finally shift my focus to my work for good.”

Yet, even as he said this, she saw him shift his weight, make his way to her. C.C. only hummed as he squatted down slowly on the ground beside her.

The sun now dipped into the ocean, the pink, orange and purple all bleeding into each other as the sky shone dimly in its light and the rhythm of waves played like music in the background. It brought about a certain _calm_ \- one C.C. couldn’t exactly bring herself to understand - which pulsated gently along the shore.

 “Were you... thinking about him again?”

“... Not _just_ about him. I have immediate concerns beyond a mere breakup, you know.”

“Hmph. That was a yes or no question. I don’t believe I ever claimed otherwise.”

“Whatever, boya. What about you? Have you gotten over your little _fling_?”

His eyebrows furrowed, and he took a second to reply.

 “I... don’t know.”

C.C. gave him a side-long glance. His demeanor _had_ changed. When the breakup had been fresh, he had often been quite distant. Now, he just looked tired and irritated.

A bitter chuckle bubbled out of him.

“It was inevitable, you know, now that I look back at it. I don’t know why I thought it would ever work out in the first place. I barely even knew her. It was just...”

C.C. couldn’t help herself. She smirked.

“Let me guess, the sex?”

At that, Lelouch blushed an alarming red and whipped his head at her, scowling.

She just wiggled her eyebrows at him, grinning cheekily.

He glared at her, but continued.

“It was just... well, a rather _effective_ distraction.”

C.C. had figured as much, but was admittedly a little stunned to hear it come from his own mouth.

Then, he whispered softly, “She deserved better.”

He looked up at her, guilt in his eyes, reminding her of something that felt far too familiar. It pulled at her heart, desperately, and all of a sudden, she felt a dire need to change the subject.

Taking a breath, she replied, “I hope you’re aware that you’re far too obsessed with your sister to be in a relationship _anyways._ ”

Lelouch started, paused for a bit, and for some absurd reason C.C. felt like she couldn’t breathe until he shook his head, scoffed a little, and looked at her with a glint in his eyes. A small laugh escaped Lelouch.

“It definitely has been a while since I’ve went out with Nunnally.”

C.C. felt her grin widen. She touched the tip of her foot to his.

“That’s more like it, boya.”


	3. Chapter 3

Lelouch’s breath caught in his throat when he saw her by the staircase, though he wasn’t entirely sure what for. Her gaze wandered the walls of their resort as she leaned against the railing, hair swept over shoulder and back bare. Her green evening gown pooled at her feet and she clutched a purse of the same color. It was beyond Lelouch where she had gotten the clothes from; he had never thought she had owned anything that would have looked so expensive.

Her smile reached her eyes when she turned and made her way towards him. Lelouch bemusedly reminded himself how this had come to be. 

 _“Lelouch, did you just ask me to be your_ date _?”_

_He flushed at the amused look on her face, already regretting said decision._

_“I told my parents I had one back when I was with Kallen. I really can't show up without one at this point.”_

_“That’s pretty faulty logic.”_

_“I don’t care if_ you _think so. Will you help me out or not?”_

_“Fine. But on one condition-”_

_“Whatever you want- er, within reasonable limits, of course.”_

_“Pay off all my pizza bills for the rest of the year.”_

_Lelouch rubbed at his temples, exhausted as it was._

_“Fine. Deal.”_

_C.C.’s eyes lit up immediately._

_“I’m in. When’s the party?”_

_Lelouch paused briefly, positive he had mentioned it already._

_“Today. Now.”_

_C.C. started, shook her head, then scoffed._

_“Wow, you really are hopeless.”_

_Lelouch ignored the slight, turning to the door. His hand lingered around the knob._

_“Get ready. Dress appropriately.”_

_“Yeah, yeah.”_

C.C. pulled up next to him with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Like what you see, boya?”

Lelouch scowled.

“Shut up.”

She laughed openly; head tilted and lips parted. She had been doing that more often as of late. Lelouch glared at her accusatory smirk, gesturing towards the car waiting for them outside.

“Keep it moving, we’re getting late.”

She rolled her eyes.

“And whose fault is that, exactly?”

“I had a meeting with my father.”

“Sounds lovely.”

He looked at her wearily. The moon lit the amusement etched in her features exponentially. Lelouch made it a point to avoid her gaze.

“It most definitely was not.”

“I suppose you have no choice but to spend the evening with him, either.”

Lelouch grimaced. It was true; his entire family would be present at the party.

“That is correct, yes.”

“Well, then, I guess you’re lucky I’m keeping you company.”

“I guess so.”

“How unfortunate.”

“Quite.”

When they finally got to the party, Lelouch could immediately tell something was off. Euphemia hovered in the corner, waving him over when she eventually spotted him.

"Hey, I don't have much time-"

She swallowed down whatever remained of her drink in one gulp, then set the glass down on the counter, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as they made their way through the crowd.

"Father's not in a good mood."

Lelouch groaned.

"Of course he isn't," he grumbled.

She pouted a little, then grabbed his arm, making sure he was looking her in the eye.

"Listen, it's not all bad. Just steer clear of him for tonight, okay?

"But there was something I needed to discuss-"

"Lelouch, _please._ "

Euphemia begged at him with her eyes, and Lelouch winced. He pried her arm away from his.

"Fine, fine. I'll lay low."

Euphemia instantly smiled at that, her entire face brightening as she did. She let out a small giggle and gave him a quick hug.

"Thank you."

With that, she disappeared. He spotted C.C. lounging on a couch in the living room across the hall. His so-called date had made herself comfortable despite the circumstances.

C.C. swirled the red wine in her glass, the movement of her wrist steady against her knee. She set it aside when Lelouch settled beside her, leaning into the couch, running a hand through his hair wearily. The silence gaped between them as Lelouch struggled to read the situation. C.C. must have sensed his agitation; she tapped him on the knee with a polished finger. He looked at her apprehensively, wondering what exactly she was getting at.

“We could dance for a bit. You are my date, after all.”

Lelouch turned slightly, the look of surprise on his face slowly giving way to a faint, subtle smile. He held out a hand to her and C.C. clasped it tightly in order to pull herself up. He paused, before placing the palm of his hand on her back, purposefully ignoring the tingling sensation that accompanied it.

He figured there were worse ways to spend the night.


End file.
